Aylin could simply not count sharians (including Ketheric and Baltazar) for "anyone". She could mean "anyone sane" or "anyone decent".
This explanation doesn't work, as when you first approach
Aylin in the Shadowfell, she says the following, and I quote:
"I have felt you coming. The first in a century. You, who have come to drive a dagger through my heart. You, who seek to claim the ultimate prize. Present your weapon, soldier. Plunge it into the Nightsong. I cannot stop you. But know this: I never forget a face."
Therefore, she does actually count Sharrans (and everyone else) as "anyone" because she accuses us of being Sharrans from the get-go - she thinks the player goes there to become a Dark Justiciar, which, given the fact that she has been killed hundreds and thousands of times by would-be Dark Justiciars, makes complete sense.
-> Durge was on the Nautiloid selected for the heist because Balthazar ordered Durge to be there. There is information for that in his room in Moonrise towers. Reason for this is that his assistant was distracted by Durge ("her pet project") and so Balthazar wanted to get rid of Durge to hopefully get his assistant to focus again on her work. I think Orin is only responsible for Durge ending up nearly dead in Moonrise towers
Where exactly is this document? I went back in my saves (as I found nothing on Google aside a fucktonne of guides as to how to get into Balthazar's room, something I've already done) and I couldn't find any trace of information - I found
Balthazar's personal notes 2 and 3 as I have before (sidenote: this also gave me the opportunity to re-read "Elder Brain Domination" again, where Ketheric hints that before the Crown was placed atop the Brain, the Bhaalists already had leadership struggles. However, this must not be related to Orin replacing Durge, as the replacement must have happened super late into the Absolute plot), but haven't found anything else that sheds any light on the period between Orin's betrayal and Durge waking up on the Nautiloid.
Nevertheless, my point still stands - it is INCREDIBLY fucking lucky that Durge ended up on that Nautiloid.
Edit: Now that I think about it - Balthazar prompts no reaction when he sees the Durge again in Act2. You'd think he'd have some sort of reaction given that they both worked together and apparently violated his body too.
-> There are acutally several
Nautiloids in the Colony as when you arrive near the brain Tav says they just saw a fleet of Nautiloids leaving (I didn't see anything, was just a voice line from Tav). But all the Nautiloids in the end over Baldurs Gate have to come somehwere, so this would fit.
Again, that doesn't change the fact that it was incredibly lucky to have
a dormant Mind Flayer colony survive for more than ten thousand years since the fall of the Illithid Empire (despite major construction work taking place in the local area, not to mention that the Githyanki would have for sure gone over all the Planes with a fine-tooth comb), and have it house an Elder Brain and Nautiloids. Had they had no Nautiloids to begin with, they would have needed significantly more time to prepare the Absolute plot.
-> I think the Emperor
not appearing as Balduran might simply be because he wanted to appear in a form that the origins/Tav finds trustworthy. So he appears in different forms for everyone. He could have appeared as Balduran but he isn't really attached to his old appearance anymore so he doesn't care because his real form is now being a mindflayer. And who knows if they would have believed him that he is Balduran as Balduran was likely thought to be lost/dead. Maybe this would even lead to being more sceptical of him.
This is pure speculation.
The Emperor in Act3 says that "I AM an adventurer, just like you, and that I wanted more, so I went to Moonrise". He NEVER once implies that he has gaps in his memories, nor do we as the third person get to look inside his head to piece together the puzzle. Therefore, the only correct interpretation is that he is simply choosing to discard his persona of Balduran, but the reasons as to why, and the reasons as to why he doesn't change his mind later on once he's in the Astral Prism or when talking with Stelmane is completely unknown.
